Systems, methods and apparatus for self-coordinated drone based digital signage

ABSTRACT

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to methods, systems and apparatuses to provide ad hoc digital signage for public or private display. In certain embodiments, the disclosure provides dynamically formed digital signage. In one application, one or more drones are used to project the desired signage. In another application one or more drones are used to form a background to receive the projected image. In still another application, sensors are used to detect audience movement, line of sight or engagement level. The sensor information is then used to arrange the projecting drones or the surface-image drones to further signage presentation.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to systems, methods andapparatus for self-coordinated drone based digital signage.Specifically, certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to method andsystem for ad hoc formation of digital signs directed to an audience.

BACKGROUND

Today's digital signage is locally fixed in the environment (e.g.,billboards along highway, signs on downtown streets, etc.). The signsmay be digital in that they can change the types of ads being displayedbut they are still fixed at a designated location. Such signs are notmobile and not easily transportable. Conventional mobile projectionsystems project an image on substantially stationary surfaces. Forexample, during the 2017 Super Bowl, drones aligned formed an ad in thesky by aligning next to each other to spell the word “Intel” byincorporating a light source on the drone itself.

Conventional applications do not provide mobility for digital signs. Theconventional ad displays with drones do not re-configure automaticallyin response to location change or audience change. Further, theconventional drones do not project a display ad onto a surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsmay describe similar components in different views. Like numerals havingdifferent letter suffixes may represent different instances of similarcomponents. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, butnot by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the presentdocument.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary dynamic projectionaccording to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates an embodiment of the disclosure withscreen-forming drones supporting a drop-down screen.

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates another embodiment of the disclosurewhere a plurality of screen-forming drones aligns to form a tile display

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary flow diagram for implementing an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a system diagram according to one embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a drone projection system according to one embodiment ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment in which drone projection is usedto magnify a structural defect according to one embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a drone system according to one embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates generally an example of a block diagram of a machineupon which any one or more of the techniques in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments.However, various embodiments may be practiced without the specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components,and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theparticular embodiments. Further, various aspects of embodiments may beperformed using various means, such as integrated semiconductor circuits(“hardware”), computer-readable instructions organized into one or moreprograms (“software”), or some combination of hardware and software. Forthe purposes of this disclosure reference to “logic” shall mean eitherhardware, software, firmware, or some combination thereof.

As stated, conventional signs are fixed to a location such as abillboard. The signs may be digital in that they can change the type ofads being displayed but signs are nonetheless fixed at location. Themedia that the drone(s) project can be images, video, and/or audio. Thedisplay content may be adjusted based on aggregated needs, context andprofile of the audience. If in a scenario where people are walking, thenthe content can be more detailed. If projection is along highway wherecars are zooming by, then the system may make the projection size largerand with less details.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure dynamically creates digitalsignage anywhere within the environment on any arbitrary surface. Inanother embodiment, the disclosure relates to a plurality ofself-coordinated drones to project a digital signage that can bere-adjusted (i.e., in positional and angular directions) to severallocations to optimize visibility to a maximum audience. A firstplurality of drones may be used to form a projection surface (or abackdrop) to receive a digital signage. One or more projector drones maybe used to project onto the projection surface to display a desiredsignage. An exemplary projector (or projection) drone may compriseoptical train and electronics necessary to project an image from thedrone to a surface. A projecting drone may store the image(s) or it maywirelessly receive the images. The projector drone(s) and the pluralityof surface-forming drones may move or change presentation angle toremain well within the audiences' line of sight. The drones may alsooutput 3D audio sound by spatially positioning around an audience andemit the sound to produce 3D sounds. In one embodiment, the drones mayproject a directional symbol like an arrow to draw attention tosomething of interest such as a building or billboard.

Where a group of drones are used to display a signage, one of the dronecan take the role of quality assessment. It can take pictures/video fromthe audience level and determine if the sign is oriented properly, isbright enough and is gathering sufficient interest. A drone may analyzethe audience's interest level and adjust content accordingly. The dronesmay also continuously analyze the audience (e.g., gender, age or otherfeatures.) and tailor content accordingly.

In one embodiment, the signage is created ad hoc and based on potentialaudience's movement pattern. In another embodiment, the ad hoc surfaceis created and located to be in direct line of sight of a potentialaudience. In still another embodiment, the surface is configured to moveor change direction as the audience moves or changes its line of sight.In yet another embodiment, the disclosure relates to amplifyingprojection of a visual ad using multiple projector drones. In stillanother embodiment, the digital signage is optically adjusted tocompensate for ambient light or lack of light. In another embodiment,the ad content may be changed based on the audience's detected mood orexpression. In another embodiment, one or more drones may be used toamplify a structural defect display to an audience.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary dynamic projectionaccording to one embodiment of the disclosure. In FIG. 1, drones 102,104, 106 and 108 are arranged around building 100. Portions of building100 is used by drones 102, 104, 106 and 108 as a backdrop or projectionscreen. Each of Drone 102, 104, 106 and 108 may be configured to beself-guided and position itself with respect to building 100 and theother drones to project the desired signage. Here, the drones are moved,tilted or otherwise positioned so as to stitch different portions of thesignage so as to form a uniform (seamless) signage to the audience. Incertain embodiments, each of drones 102 and 104 may positioned similarlywith respect to building 100 to provide a substantially uniform digitalsignage display. In another embodiment (as shown) drones 102 and 104 mybe positioned differently (non-uniformly) with respect to building 100to provide a substantially uniform digital signage display. In stillanother embodiment, it may be desired to provide a non-uniform displaysuch that a portion of the displayed image appears elongated as comparedwith the first portion. Each of the multiple drones may then bepositioned to provide the desired abnormality. As described below, eachdrone may include one or more processing circuitries and memorycircuitries to enable flight pattern and positioning of the drone toproject the desired signage.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 each of drones 102, 104, 106 and108 is configured to project. Drone 102, for example, projects portion103 of the top image. Drone 104 projects portion 105 of the top image.Drone 106 projects portion 107 of the bottom image. Drone 108 projectsportion 109 of the top image. In certain embodiments, placement of eachof drones 102, 104, 106 and 108 is organized to provide an image that isoptimally visible. To this end, each drone may further comprise one ormore sensors (e.g., optical sensors, character recognition sensors),accelerometer or gyroscope to aid the drone into finding an optimalposition to display the signage. Moreover, each drone may includesensors to detect ambient light and compensate the projected image foroptimal visibility.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, drones 102, 104, 106 and 108 mayscan building 100 to identify one or more portions of building todisplay images 103, 105, 106 and 107. The scanning may define geospatialscanning so as to identify location which will he most likely viewed byan audience, such as passer byes. For example, drones 102, 104, 106 and108 may scout for locations outside of a baseball stadium and identifybuilding 100 in the stadium exit path such that the patrons may have aclear line of sight (LOS) to the displayed images upon exiting thevenue. As stated, one or more drone may reposition itself by changinglocation or projection angle to thereby readjust the image. Imagereadjustment may be done to accommodate the audience's LOS or changingenvironmental factors.

As stated, one or more drones may form a screen or backdrop to receiveprojected images from image projecting drones. In one embodiment of thedisclosure, these so-called screen-forming drones may coordinatethemselves to create a large screen. The screen may include a rolled upprojective film that unrolls to a full screen. In certain embodiments,the screen may be a netted screen that is formed on demand. Such screensmay be formed ad hoc in an open space so that projecting drones cancollaborate and project content thereon. The screen-forming drones,similar to the projecting drones, may be configured to automaticallyorganize themselves (position, orientation, number of drones) to formthe surface with the needed quality for the visual signage and to keepthe signage stable (i.e., despite adverse weather or environmentalconditions).

Both projection and screen-forming drones may also comprise circuitryand be configured to self-adjust to a changing audience. The change maybe directed to geo-location or it may be content related change. Forexample, the drones may identify a projection surface in LOS of a crowdand start projecting digital content on that surface. The drones mayalso auto-adjust position, lumens (dimming), and projection angles toget the appropriate projection on the surface so that the signage isoptimally visible to the crowd.

The drones may be configured to reorganize and continue to display onvarious other surfaces as the audience moves or as the traffic patternof audience changes. In still other embodiments, the drones may considerthe crowd's aggregated context and profile in order to determine thedigital signage to be displayed (Le., what product or service that canbe of interest of the majority of people) and how (i.e., business orconsumer focus, specific events, etc.) To this end, the drones includeone or more sensors to detect environmental patterns, movement pattersor other factors.

In certain embodiments, the drones may be part of an Internet of Things(IoT) network. In this manner, the drones may receive information fromother devices in the IoT network that provides pertinent information. AnIoT device may include wearable wireless devices. Wearable devices cancomplement the system by monitoring each user's response and attentionto the signage. Mobile devices may contain profile and preferenceinformation that can be leveraged to determine what content to display.Wearable or mobile devices can complement the system by providing theuser with an easy to use method to capture the signage for futureconsumption, for example, by pointing the device in the direction of thesignage. In this manner, the system can keep track of prior interactionswith the digital signage to create and update each user profile andpreferences.

For example, the drones may receive information that indicatesaudience's level of engagement or level of excitement. In anotherexample, the drones may receive information about a recent event (e.g.,final score for a sporting event) and form a signage appropriate to theevent. The drones themselves may include one or more sensor andcircuitry (including hardware and software) to detect facial expressionor other human indicia. This information can be used to further tailorand display appropriate signage.

In certain embodiments, a swarm of drones may be divided in two groups.One group of drones may project the signage and the other group ofdrones may hold a section of the surface to receive the image. Thismethod eliminates the need for finding a projectable surface. FIGS. 2Aand 2B illustrate the group of drones presenting a surface to receivethe image.

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates an embodiment of the disclosure withscreen-forming drones supporting a drop-down screen. In FIG. 2, drones202 and 204 may be coupled to screen 203. Screen 203 may be used todisplay a signage. Screen 203 may be roll-down screen and drones 202 and203 my control the screens roll down and roll up. Screen 203 may also bea digital screen configured to display messages. For example, screen 203may comprise a light-emitting diode (LED) or organic LED display withcircuitry and software to display signage. Drones 202 and 204 mayposition themselves at a desired location to allow screen 203 to be wellwithin an audience's LOS.

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates another embodiment of the disclosurewhere a plurality of screen-forming drones aligns to form a tiledisplay. Here, each drone owns segment of the display (e.g., a tile) andautonomously aligns and stitches screen together. Here the tiles arepositioned next to each other such that the complete image appearsstitched together and seamless. The screen could be transparentprojective screens, netted mesh with high reflective material etc. Thenumber of drones can be increased to increase lumens (align projectedsegments), compensate for the color and reflection of the surface. InFIG. 2B, drones 206 and 208 self-align to place screens(interchangeably, tiles) 207 and 209 adjacent each other. The drones maybe further configured to maintain appropriate flight position, speed orother necessary flight attributes to maintain screens 207, 209 in properformation. Screens 207, 209 may be rigidly or flexibly coupled to drones206, 208, respectively. Screens 207, 209 may also be coupled to drones206, 208 to allow rotation, extension or tilting in relation to thedrone. In one embodiment, drones 206 and 208 may be substantiallystationary. In another embodiment, drones 206 and 208 may be movingalong a desired flight path with screens 207, 208 in tow. Screens 207,208 may comprise roll-down screens or may comprise a planar substratesuitable for image projection. Further, each screen may be configured toreceive optical projection, or it may be configured with electroniccircuitry and logic to self-display (e.g., LED, OLED, QLED or QD).Drones 206 and 208 may further be configured to reposition themselvesand/or screens 207, 209 for better audience viewing.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary flow diagram for implementing an embodiment ofthe disclosure. The process of FIG. 3 starts at step 310 where aninitial geographic location (geo-location) is identified and the drone,or the drone, swarm is directed to the identified location. Step 310 maybe directed by an external source. For example, a server may identify agathering crowd at a location and direct the drones to that location. Byway of another example, a server may identify regularly occurringtraffic pattern at a location that provides captured audience and directa drone or the drone swarm to that location.

At step 320, one or more drone locates people/crowds that would view thesignage and finds a projection surface in the crowd's LOS. In certainembodiments, step 320 may be subsumed in step 310. That is, a projectionsurface may be identified along with the location identification. If aprojection surface is not readily available, screen-forming drones canbe directed to the sight to assist in signage display. If projectionsurface is not already identified at the prior steps, at step 330, thedrones may select the projection surface and/or assign roles to thescreen-forming drones.

At step 340, the signage is displayed by one or more drones. The dronesmay also output 3D audio sound by spatially positioning around anaudience and emit the sound to produce 3D sounds. As discussed above,audiences' interest may be gauged from one or more sensors that may beco-located with the drones or they interest may be gauged using externalsensors and devices such as IoT.

At step 350 a decision is made as to whether the audiences' interestexceeds a desired threshold. If the audiences' engagement does not equalor exceed the threshold, the display content may be changed as shown instep 355. If the audiences' interest is met, the flow diagram proceedsto step 360 where the signage display is continued until locationchanges. Once the location is changed, the process is repeated at step310.

Throughout the display process, the drones may self-adjust or rearrangeto provide clear LOS and to accommodate environmental changes. Forexample, a master drone may dictate position changes, tilt angle orother flight requirements to slave drones to maintain a clear LOS to theaudience.

In certain embodiments, drones will avoid direct occlusion of theprojected display by understanding the viewing angle of the audience andmove accordingly. Auto-Keystone correction techniques may be applied ifthe drones are at non-orthogonal angles. The Auto-Keystone correctiontechniques are known in the art and involve changing the output image sothat it would appear with the correct form factor from the audiencepoint of view.

In other example, projection lumen or optical zoom may be adjusted toincrease or decrease size and visibility.

The flow diagram of FIG. 3 may be implemented by a central controller(including hardware circuitry, software and firmware) in communicationwith one or more drones. The controller may be external to the drones(e.g., cloud). In one embodiment, the controller (and controlresponsibility) may be assumed by a master drones and dictated to slavedrones. In another embodiment, the steps of the flow diagram may bedistributed among the drones and each drone may assume responsibilityfor a portion of the flow diagram.

FIG. 4 is a system diagram according to one embodiment of thedisclosure. The system of FIG. 4 may be implemented on hardware(including circuitry), software or a combination of hardware andsoftware. Exemplary modules disclosed in FIG. 4 may be implemented atone or more processors. In certain embodiments, system 400 may beimplemented at a centralized location, for example, on a drone or on acloud computing system. In another embodiment, system 400 may beimplemented in a distributed manner. For example, one or more exemplarymodules of FIG. 4 may be implemented at more than one location. Whilesystem 400 is shown with six exemplary modules, it should be noted thatthe disclosed principles are not limited to six and more or less modulesmay be used without departing from the disclosed embodiments.

Module 410 of FIG. 4 includes sensors, geolocation devices (e.g., GPS),environmental sensors (e.g., light detection sensors), video displaydevice (e.g., projectors and other optical trains for projecting animage), camera (e.g., recording camera) and light emitter devices. Anexemplary drone may be equipped with geo-location, environmental (winddirection/speed, temp, etc.), video camera for understanding geometry ofthe environment, and a light meter for understanding how many lumens areneeded to project on various surfaces, Distance sensors to measure thedistance between the surface and the drone as well as distance betweenthe projected surface and the spectators may also be included.

Module 420 may include computer vision to identify and select suitablesurfaces to project an image. Thus, an exemplary drone may seek to findan appropriate projection surface in the crowd's vicinity. An optimalsurface may be a planar surface and have a lighter material property orit could be any arbitrary objects like tree, buildings or dense cloudsto receive a project image.

An optional module (or an add-on functionality) may be included toprovide a language dictionary to allow real time translation of content.

Module 430 may include sensors and devices for emotion/engagementdetection of Audience. Such modules can monitor crowds and detect if theuser(s) are looking at the digital signage and also if the user(s) aresmiling, are passive, etc. wearable or mobile technologies (e.g., IoT)can be leveraged for emotion response detection. An optional module (oran add-on functionality) may be included to provide context detection.Here, the system may monitor the crowd's contextual elements, such asposition, location of people in a crowd, interests and currentconversations (if users have opted-in), time availability etc. Anoptional module (or an add-on functionality) may be included to keeptrack of previous interaction of each person with a digital signage andeffectiveness of the content (history module).

Module 440 may provide drone projection display. Each drone may have aprojector and the of drones group may auto-align tiles of the projectiondisplay. The projectors may be a focus-free laser projector or standardprojectors where the system can use camera feed of the projected contentto auto focus the projector. The feed content may be stored on thedrone(s) hardware or it may be transmitted to the drone(s) forprojection. In one embodiment, each drone may display a tile that maycombine with other tiles to form a mosaic display.

In one embodiment, projection screens may be attached to certain dronesto create a large screen so other drones can project thereon. Multipledrones may coordinate to create a screen that is directly in line ofslight with the spectators. The screen may be transparent projectivescreens, netted mesh with high reflective material or any other formsuitable for receiving an image.

Module 450 is 3D spatial audio module. Module 450 may be optionally usedif the intended signage is to include audio component. The drones mayoutput audio from the digital signage and this could be done withspatial audio since drones may fly in a 360 formation.

Module 460 may be configured to determine audience or crowd Profile.Here, the module may store crowd profiles (e.g., age, gender, crowdsize, etc.) based on current or past events or occurrences. Thisinformation may be used for targeted displays and advertisementselection.

An optional module (or an add-on functionality) may be included toprovide a content provisioning system. In a content provisioning system,the content creator may upload content to be displayed and define rulesto match the audience's needs and interests. For example, the rule maydictate display of a particular signage only if at least 60% of usersare wearing prescription glasses. Other exemplary rules may dictate notto display the same ad more than once daily.

FIG. 5 shows a drone projection system according to one embodiment ofthe disclosure. In FIG. 5, drone 520 is projecting an ad on bridge post510. Drone 520 may select bridge post 510 due to its strategic locationproximal walk path 540 and the ad's visibility to audience 530. In oneembodiment, drone 520 may adjust its position relative to bridge post210 so that the ad is visible from audience 530 located further away. Tothis end, drone 520 may use one or more optical train to size the ad orit may move closer or further away from bridge post 510. In an exemplaryembodiment, a second drone (not shown) may proximate the audience'slocation and direct positioning of drone 520. In another embodiment,drone 520 may change its projection angle to accommodate visibility toaudience 530,

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment in which drone projection is usedto magnify a structural defect according to one embodiment of thedisclosure. Specifically, the disclosed embodiment shows an exemplaryembodiment in which one or more drone is used to survey an area or adefect. In FIG. 6, bridge post 630 includes a crack which may not bereadily visible from vantage point of audience 530. Here, drone 620 isused to project an augmented display of the bridge crack. In oneapplication of this embodiment, the content (i.e., image of the defect)may be projected at a desired location after an initial image of thedefect is obtained. The system may communicate with audience 630 toposition themselves appropriately to view the defect as it appears (insmaller size) on the bridge.

FIG. 7 shows a drone system according to one embodiment of thedisclosure. Drone 700 is exemplary and non-limiting. Drone 700 includescontroller 710. Controller 710 may comprise system, hardware andsoftware required to operate the drone. In one embodiment, controller710 may comprise one or more processing circuits (including integratedcircuits) to arrange and coordinate flight, communication and otherdrone functions. For example, controller 710 may communicate with powersupply 720 to control power supplied for mechanical functions of drone700. Power supply 720 may comprise batteries, capacitors otherconventional power storage components.

Communication system 730 may comprise hardware, software and acombination of hardware and software needed to communicate with thedrone. In an exemplary embodiment, communication system 720 defines awireless communication system compatible with any of the IEEEcommunication standards including cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth (BT),Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Wirelesscommunication system 730 is shown with one or more antennas 732.

Flight module 740 addresses the drone flight operations. Flight module740 is shown with mechanical components such as motors, propellers andother mechanical parts connecting them. The flight module also includessoftware required for operation of drone 700 and memory (storage) 746for storing instructions which may include software or signage displayrequirements. While memory 746 is shown as part of the flight module,the disclosed embodiments are not limited thereto and memory 746 may beone or more stand-alone memory systems for servicing all of drone 700functionalities.

Projection module 750 is shown with audio component 752, video component754 and optical component 756. Each component may coordinate with othercomponents to display an ad or a signage an audience according to thedisclosed embodiments. Audio component 752, for example, may includeradio and speaker components to play back audio portions. Videocomponent 754 may project images directly or may communicate storedvideo signals to optical train 756 for projection. Optical train 756 maycomprise one or more lenses and optical filters to project an image fromdrone 700.

While not shown, drone 700 may also include components for attaching adisplay tile or for carrying a roll-down display screen.

FIG. 8 illustrates generally an example of a block diagram of a machineupon which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies)discussed herein may perform in accordance with some embodiments. InFIG. 8 the machine 800 may operate as a standalone device or may beconnected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine 800 may operate in the capacity of a servermachine, a client machine, or both in server-client networkenvironments, In an example, machine 800 may act as a peer machine inpeer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Themachine 800 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a dronecomputing device, a control system, an IMU, a mobile telephone, a webappliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable ofexecuting instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions tobe taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine isillustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include anycollection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (ormultiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as aservice (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

Examples, as described herein, may include, or may operate on, logic ora number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules are tangibleentities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operationswhen operating. A module includes hardware. In an example, the hardwaremay be specifically configured to carry out a specific operation (e.g.,hardwired). In an example, the hardware may include configurableexecution units (e.g., transistors, circuits, etc.) and a computerreadable medium containing instructions, where the instructionsconfigure the execution units to carry out a specific operation when inoperation. The configuring may occur under the direction of theexecutions units or a loading mechanism. Accordingly, the executionunits are communicatively coupled to the computer readable medium whenthe device is operating. In this example, the execution units may be amember of more than one module. For example, under operation, theexecution units may be configured by a first set of instructions toimplement a first module at one point in time and reconfigured by asecond set of instructions to implement a second module.

Machine (e.g., computer system) 800 may include a hardware processor 802(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit(GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a mainmemory 804 and a static memory 806, some or all of which may communicatewith each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 808. The machine 800 mayfurther include a display unit 810, an alphanumeric input device 812(e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 814(e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 810, alphanumeric inputdevice 812 and UI navigation device 814 may be a touch screen display.The machine 800 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., driveunit) 816, a signal generation device 818 (e.g., a speaker), a networkinterface device 820, and one or more sensors 821, such as a globalpositioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or othersensor. The machine 800 may include an output controller 828, such as aserial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired orwireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.)connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices(e.g., a. printer, card reader, etc.).

The storage device 816 may include a machine readable medium 822 that isnon-transitory on which is stored one or more sets of data structures orinstructions 824 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one ormore of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions824 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 804, within static memory 806, or within the hardware processor802 during execution thereof by the machine 800. In an example, one orany combination of the hardware processor 802, the main memory 804, thestatic memory 806, or the storage device 816 may constitute machinereadable media.

While the machine readable medium 822 is illustrated as a single medium,the term “machine readable medium” may include a single medium ormultiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, orassociated caches and servers) configured to store the one or moreinstructions 824.

The term “machine readable medium” may include any medium that iscapable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution bythe machine 800 and that cause the machine 800 to perform any one ormore of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated withsuch instructions. Non-limiting machine readable medium examples mayinclude solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specificexamples of machine readable media may include: non-volatile memory,such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically ProgrammableRead-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-OnlyMemory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such asinternal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; andCD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

The instructions 824 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 826 using a transmission medium via the networkinterface device 820 utilizing any one of a number of transfer protocols(e,g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission controlprotocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP), etc). Example communication networks may include alocal area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet datanetwork (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellularnetworks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless datanetworks (e.g., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)1502.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®, IEEE 802.16 family ofstandards known as WiMax®), IEEE 1502.15.4 family of standards,peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In an example, the networkinterface device 820 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g.,Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect tothe communications network 826. In an example, the network interfacedevice 820 may include a plurality of antennas to wirelessly communicateusing at least one of single-input multiple-output (SLMO),multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output(MISO) techniques. The term “transmission medium” shall be taken toinclude any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding orcarrying instructions for execution by the machine 800, and includesdigital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium tofacilitate communication of such software.

ADDITIONAL NOTES & EXAMPLES

The following non-limiting examples are provided to further illustratesdifferent embodiment of the disclosed principles. Example 1 is directedto a method to provide self-coordinated display of a digital signage,the method comprising: identifying a display location to display thedigital signage; determining if a projection surface is available at thedisplay location, if the projection surface is unavailable at thedisplay location directing a first screen-forming drone to provide theprojection surface at the first location; directing a first projectiondrone to project a first portion of the digital signage on theprojection surface at the display location.

Example 2 is directed to the method of Example 1, further comprisingdirecting a second projection drone to project a second portion of thedigital signage on the projection surface.

Example 3 is directed to the method of any of examples 1-2, furthercomprising self-aligning the first projection drone and the secondprojection drone to position the first portion and the second portion ofthe digital signage to form a substantially uniform display of thedigital signage.

Example 4 is directed to the method of any preceding example, furthercomprising non-uniformly distancing or tilting the first and the secondprojection drones with respect to the projection surface to provide asubstantially uniform display of the digital signage.

Example 5 is directed to the method of method of any preceding example,wherein self-aligning the first and the second projection drones furthercomprises tilting, moving or positioning each of the first and thesecond drones to provide a substantially uniform display.

Example 6 is directed to the of method of any preceding example, furthercomprising directing a second screen-forming drone to provide additionalprojection surface at the display location.

Example 7 is directed to the method of any preceding example, furthercomprising directing the first screen-forming drone and the firstprojection drone to one of a subsequent display location to provide aclear line of sight (LOS) to an audience.

Example 8 is directed to the method of any preceding example, furthercomprising enlarging the digital signage by one of moving the firstprojection drone away from the projection surface or by amplifying aprojected video signal from the first projection drone.

Example 9 is directed to the method of any preceding example, furthercomprising gauging an audience response to the digital signage anddetermining whether to continue displaying the digital signage.

Example 10 is directed to a non-transient machine-readable mediumincluding instructions to provide self-coordinated display of a digitalsignage, which when executed on one or more processors, causes the oneor more processors to: identify a display location to display thedigital signage; determine if a projection surface is available at thedisplay location, if the projection surface is unavailable at thedisplay location, direct a first screen-forming drone to provide aprojection surface at the first location; direct a first projectiondrone to project a first portion of the digital signage on theprojection surface at the display location.

Example 11 is directed to the medium of Example 10, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processors to direct a secondprojection drone to project a second portion of the digital signage onthe projection surface.

Example 12 is directed to the medium of examples 10-11, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processors to align the firstprojection drone and the second projection drone to position the firstportion and the second portion of the digital signage to form asubstantially uniform display of the digital signage.

Example 13 is directed to the medium of examples 10-12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processors to non-uniformlydistance or tilt the first or the second projection drones with respectto the projection surface to provide a substantially uniform display ofthe digital signage.

Example 14 is directed to the medium of examples 10-13, wherein theinstructions further cause the first and the second projection drones toone or more of tilt, move or reposition to provide a substantiallyuniform display.

Example 15 is directed to the medium of examples 10-14, furthercomprising directing a second screen-forming drone to provide additionalprojection surface at the first location.

Example 16 is directed to the medium of examples 10-15, furthercomprising directing the first screen-forming drone and the firstprojection drone to one of a subsequent display location to provide aclear line of sight (LOS) to an audience.

Example 17 is directed to the medium of examples 10-16, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processors to direct thefirst and the second drones to enlarge the digital signage by one ofmoving away from the projection surface or by amplifying a projectedvideo signal.

Example 18 is directed to the medium of examples 10-17, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processors to receive anaudience response to the digital signage and to determine whether tocontinue displaying the digital signage.

Example 19 is directed to a drone system to dynamically display adigital signage at a first location to an audience, the systemcomprising: a first projection drone to identify a display surface atthe first location, the first projection drone configured to project afirst portion of the digital signage onto the display surface; a secondprojection drone in communication with the first projection drone, thesecond projection drone configured to project a second portion of thedigital signage onto the display surface; wherein the first projectiondrone and the second projection drones are configured to self-align toproject a substantially uniform image of the digital signage at thefirst location.

Example 20 is directed to the system of example 19, wherein the firstprojection drone and the second projection drone self-align by at leastone of aligning, tilting or setting a distance with respect to thedisplay surface.

Example 21 is directed to the system of examples 19-20, wherein thefirst projection drone self-aligns by at least one of aligning, tiltingor setting a distance with respect to the second projection drone.

Example 22 is directed to the system of examples 19-21, furthercomprising first screen-forming drone to provide at least a portion ofthe display surface.

Example 23 is directed to the system of examples 19-22, wherein thefirst screen-forming drone traverses to the first location to receive atleast one of the projected first or second portions of the digitalsignage.

Example 24 is directed to the system of examples 19-23, furthercomprising a second screen-forming drone configured to align with thefirst screen-forming drone to receive at least one of the projectedfirst or second portions of the digital signage.

Example 25 is directed to the system of examples 19-24, wherein at leastone of the first projection drone, the second projection drone or thefirst surface drone is configured to relocate to provide a line of sight(LOS) to the audience.

Example 26 is directed to the system of examples 19-25, wherein thefirst projection drone, the second projection drone and the firstsurface drone are configured to move from the first location to a secondlocation to continue providing a LOS to the audience.

Example 27 is directed to the system of examples 19-26, wherein thefirst drone is configured to enlarge the first portion of the digitaldisplay by at least one of moving with respect to the display surface orby amplifying a projected video signal.

Example 28 is directed to a non-transient, machine readable-storageincluding machine-readable instructions, when executed, to implement amethod or realize an apparatus as exampled in examples 1-10.

Example 29 is directed to a non-transient, machine readable-storageincluding machine-readable instructions, when executed, to implement amethod or realize an apparatus as exampled in examples 19-27.

Example30 is directed to the a system to provide self-coordinateddisplay of a digital signage, the system comprising: means foridentifying a display location to display the digital signage; means fordetermining if a projection surface is available at the displaylocation, if the projection surface is unavailable at the displaylocation, means for directing a first screen-forming drone to providethe projection surface at the first location; means for directing afirst projection drone to project a first portion of the digital signageon the projection surface at the display location.

Example 31 is directed to the system of example 30, further comprisingmeans for directing a second projection drone to project a secondportion of the digital signage on the projection surface.

Example 32 is directed to the system of examples 30-31, furthercomprising means for self-aligning the first projection drone and thesecond projection drone to position the first portion and the secondportion of the digital signage to form a substantially uniform displayof the digital signage.

Example 33 is directed to the system of examples 30-32, furthercomprising means for non-uniformly distancing or tilting the first andthe second projection drones with respect to the projection surface toprovide a substantially uniform display of the digital signage.

Example 34 is directed to the system of examples 30-33, wherein meansfor self-aligning the first and the second projection drones furthercomprises means for tilting, moving or positioning each of the first andthe second drones to provide a substantially uniform display.

Example 35 is directed to the system of examples 30-34, furthercomprising means for directing a second screen-forming drone to provideadditional projection surface at the display location.

Example 36 is directed to the system of examples 30-35, furthercomprising means for directing the first screen-forming drone and thefirst projection drone to one of a subsequent display location toprovide a clear line of sight (LOS) to an audience.

Example 37 is directed to the system of examples 30-36, furthercomprising means for enlarging the digital signage by one of moving thefirst projection drone away from the projection surface or by amplifyinga projected video signal from the first projection drone.

Example 38 is directed to the system of examples 30-37, furthercomprising means for gauging an audience response.

While the principles of the disclosure have been illustrated in relationto the exemplary embodiments shown herein, the principles of thedisclosure are not limited thereto and include any modification,variation or permutation thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method to provide self-coordinated display of adigital signage, the method comprising: identifying a display locationto display the digital signage; determining if a projection surface isavailable at the display location, if the projection surface isunavailable at the display location directing a first screen-formingdrone to provide the projection surface at the first location; directinga first projection drone to project a first portion of the digitalsignage on the projection surface at the display location.
 2. The methodof claim 1, further comprising directing a second projection drone toproject a second portion of the digital signage on the projectionsurface.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising self-aligning thefirst projection drone and the second projection drone to position thefirst portion and the second portion of the digital signage to form asubstantially uniform display of the digital signage.
 4. The method ofclaim 2, further comprising non-uniformly distancing or tilting thefirst and the second projection drones with respect to the projectionsurface to provide a substantially uniform display of the digitalsignage.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein self-aligning the first andthe second projection drones further comprises tilting, moving orpositioning each of the first and the second drones to provide asubstantially uniform display.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising directing a second screen-forming drone to provide additionalprojection surface at the display location.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising directing the first screen-forming drone and thefirst projection drone to one of a subsequent display location toprovide a clear line of sight (LOS) to an audience.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising enlarging the digital signage by one ofmoving the first projection drone away from the projection surface or byamplifying a projected video signal from the first projection drone. 9.The method of claim 1, further comprising gauging an audience responseto the digital signage and determining whether to continue displayingthe digital signage.
 10. A non-transient machine-readable mediumincluding instructions to provide self-coordinated display of a digitalsignage, which when executed on one or more processors, causes the oneor more processors to: identify a display location to display thedigital signage; determine if a projection surface is available at thedisplay location, if the projection surface is unavailable at thedisplay location, direct a first screen-forming drone to provide aprojection surface at the first location; direct a first projectiondrone to project a first portion of the digital signage on theprojection surface at the display location.
 11. The medium of claim 10,wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors todirect a second projection drone to project a second portion of thedigital signage on the projection surface.
 12. The medium of claim 11,wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors toalign the first projection drone and the second projection drone toposition the first portion and the second portion of the digital signageto form a substantially uniform display of the digital signage.
 13. Themedium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one ormore processors to non-uniformly distance or tilt the first or thesecond projection drones with respect to the projection surface toprovide a substantially uniform display of the digital signage.
 14. Themedium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the first andthe second projection drones to one or more of tilt, move or repositionto provide a substantially uniform display.
 15. The medium of claim 10,further comprising directing a second screen-forming drone to provideadditional projection surface at the first location.
 16. The medium ofclaim 10, further comprising directing the first screen-forming droneand the first projection drone to one of a subsequent display locationto provide a clear line of sight (LOS) to an audience.
 17. The medium ofclaim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to direct the first and the second drones to enlarge thedigital signage by one of moving away from the projection surface or byamplifying a projected video signal.
 18. The medium of claim 10, whereinthe instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive anaudience response to the digital signage and to determine whether tocontinue displaying the digital signage.
 19. A drone system todynamically display a digital signage at a first location to anaudience, the system comprising: a first projection drone to identify adisplay surface at the first location, the first projection droneconfigured to project a first portion of the digital signage onto thedisplay surface; a second projection drone in communication with thefirst projection drone, the second projection drone configured toproject a second portion of the digital signage onto the displaysurface; wherein the first projection drone and the second projectiondrones are configured to self-align to project a substantially uniformimage of the digital signage at the first location.
 20. The system ofclaim 19, wherein the first projection drone and the second projectiondrone self-align by at least one of aligning, tilting or setting adistance with respect to the display surface.
 21. The system of claim19, wherein the first projection drone self-aligns by at least one ofaligning, tilting or setting a distance with respect to the secondprojection drone.
 22. The system of claim 19, further comprising firstscreen-forming drone to provide at least a portion of the displaysurface.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first screen-formingdrone traverses to the first location to receive at least one of theprojected first or second portions of the digital signage.
 24. Thesystem of claim 23, further comprising a second screen-forming droneconfigured to align with the first screen-forming drone to receive atleast one of the projected first or second portions of the digitalsignage.
 25. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one of the firstprojection drone, the second projection drone or the first surface droneis configured to relocate to provide a line of sight (LOS) to theaudience.
 26. The system of claim 22, wherein the first projectiondrone, the second projection drone and the first surface drone areconfigured to move from the first location to a second location tocontinue providing a LOS to the audience.
 27. The system of claim 19,wherein the first drone is configured to enlarge the first portion ofthe digital display by at least one of moving with respect to thedisplay surface or by amplifying a projected video signal.